a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the preparation of yeast-leavened bread crumbs suitable for use in a stuffing mix composition. It is desirable that such bread crumbs have an acceptable flavor, strong cell structure, and relatively high density.
Among the problems encountered by the prior art in producing satisfactory bread for stuffing is that when the bread crumbs are added to the other contents of a stuffing mix and hydrated during a cooking process, there is a tendency for the individual crumbs to lose their identity and for the bread portion of the stuffing mix to become a pasty mass. The result can be a very pasty and unsatisfactory stuffing. It is thus desirable that the bread crumbs utilized in the stuffing mix have a high density and strong cell structure in order to stand up to the processing and cooking conditions to which stuffings are subjected.
b. Prior Art
In general, when it was desired to produce bread crumbs having a higher density for utilization in the production of prepackaged stuffing mixes, such crumbs were obtained by simply compressing ordinary baked bread in order to decrease the volume, followed by the steps of staling, slicing and cubing the bread. The crumbs resulting from such processes when added to a stuffing mix and hydrated had a tendency to break down and lose their identity in one mass of pasty stuffing.
In the customary processes of making bread, whether the sponge, continuous or the straight dough method is adopted, the dough is generally subjected to an intermediate proofing and also a final pan-proofing in order for the dough to rise to its desired baking height and to allow the yeast to enhance the flavor of the product. Formation of minute cells and their expansion in the dough during proofing as well as during baking (oven spring) in the usual bread baking process is largely responsible for the resulting delicate cell structure and when utilized in a stuffing mix can produce a pasty and undesirable stuffing which results when hydration takes place.
One way to avoid the foregoing problem is disclosed in Wauters et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,346. The process disclosed therein involves mixing a yeast containing a bread dough to a fully developed state, resting the fully developed dough, and then dividing the dough. Thereafter the dough is baked. During baking, the dough is initially subjected to a temperature sufficiently high and for a period of time effective to kill the yeast and prevent substantial oven spring, and then baking is continued until the bread dough is fully baked. The process is carried out either without a proofing step or with a minimal proofing step prior to baking of the dough, the proofing and oven spring being limited so that the density of the resultant baked bread is within the range of about 17 to 36 lbs./cubic foot. Then the baked bread is staled, sliced and diced into crumbs suitable for use in a stuffing mix.
While the process of the Wauters et al. patent produces good bread crumbs, the process is fairly time-consuming, particularly in the staling step which typically requires 1 to 4 days.